Ex-Mayor Byrne recalls the days of fests gone by

July 03, 2005

As Taste of Chicago wraps up its 25th anniversary edition, we thought we'd check in with Jane Byrne, who was mayor when the festival was born in 1980. Byrne, 71, was in her downtown home recuperating from a compressed fracture in her back.

Mark Caro: Have you been to Taste of Chicago this year?

Jane Byrne: No, I haven't gone. I really have not gone back since I left office.

MC: Why?

JB: Well, there's crowd-control problems, things like that. It's just one of those things. It was over for me, and it's over.

MC: Have you been to Millennium Park yet?

JB: No.

MC: Will you check it out at some point?

JB: Yes, definitely.

MC: Where are your favorite places to go in Chicago in the summer?

JB: I started a lot of things. There's the Jazz Fest, Gospel Fest, Blues Fest. I started all of those, so every once in a while I'll go by and listen to the music, look at the crowd. I like the open markets.

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mcaro@tribune.com

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